b'CAREER GUIDE|unbalanced work-life schedule. Pepe suggests:The employee should also recognize Prioritizing tasks weekly. Write down what really needs to get done, shethat performing their duties optimally says, and give yourself deadlines and reminders. and conscientiously makes them better Planning ahead for family time. If I dont designate time to spend with mybeyond the workplace, and assists in family, I may end up sacrificing freehaving better work-life balance.time or unscheduled time to do work duties.Learn how and when to say no.The healthcare field is in high demand forsuggests responding to the sender saying thathelps to maintain her focus and attention for healthcare workers, therefore com- the message has been received and that a fullpersonal matters when I am at home in the panies and hospitals may overlookresponse will be given when time allows.presence of family and friends. She said that the amount of time they request theirThis can also be accomplished by setting upshe also relies on cues from friends and fam-employees to work because they arean away message for ones email accountily to help her set the work communication trying to fill low census obligations.whenever distance is needed between theboundary. Communication devices are very They arent considering how beingsender and response time, for whatever theinvasive and can be destructive to home life overworked can affect work perfor- reason. But the bottom line is to indicateand intimacy, she said. The people who you mance and patient safety. For thisthat the message has been received and thatare closest to you know when your attention reason, it is essential to have a goodyou are thinking of them, he said. Anotheris divided between them and work affairs. sense of self-awareness and to knowtip is remembering to employ the snooze fea- It is important to not only be a good com-your limits in order to provide the bestture on your email to a customizable timemunicator at work, but also with the people health outcomes for yourself and yourthat serves as a reminder for people and canwho are closest to you.patients, she said. help us to have more balance when we feelBell said he has walled off certain ele-like we may be inundated with messagesments of communication to help him have ESTABLISHING EMAIL HYGIENE either before, during, or after working hours.the boundaries that are best for him. I A frequent culprit in the disruption ofArmstrong urges taking a kind, gentledont feel the need to have my phone notify work-life balance is email communication,approach in this type of email communi- me every time an email, text, or phone call said Armstrong. Common problem areascation. The sender should understand thecomes in, he said.There are very, very few include unrealistic expectations as to howboundary, but also not feel as if they are atrue emergencies, and if one does occur, I soon an email message should be respondedburden since its very likely that the needknow how to make myself available.Isilence to, whether or not employees should bewill be important. At the same time, Pepemy phone, plain and simple. I check periodi-expected to access (and thus respond toacknowledges that accepting that notcally, but dont let my device dictate how I go their email) on devices that go beyond theevery work-related matter is emergent, isabout my day. At the end of each day, I know workspace (such as a tablet or phone), andimportant.I have usually done the best I could and rec-boundaries for when work-related commu- Advances in technology have made com- ognize the importance of rest.Tomorrow is nication should be sentmeaning couldmunication routes faster than ever, and withanother day and I need to be ready to give it the temptation to respond to email duringquick messaging comes the expectation ofmy best.nnon-working hours be avoided only throughquick responses; but setting boundaries for not being sent work-related email duringyourself is crucial to your mental health andREFERENCESnon-working hours?will create an expectation for others as well,1. Grant. How Does Technology Affect the I think that the expectation in someshe said. Employers and coworkers alikeWork Environment Today? Chron. 2019. places, and especially in healthcare, is forwill learn from your boundaries that, if itsAccessed online: https://smallbusiness.us to respond rapidly to email, Armstrongnot a high-priority matter, then they shouldchron.com/technology-affect-work-envi-said. And I think for many emails, espe- not expect a response from you until you areronment-today-27299.htmlcially patient-related ones, the expectationon work time.2. McFadden, C. Can Technology Cause is to respond yesterday. To perhaps avoidPepe said she has adopted the practiceAnxiety and Depression? Interesting the anxiety of wondering whether or not youof filtering messages between what needsEngineering. 2019. Accessed online: should reply to an email while not overbur- immediate attention and what can wait untilhttps://interestingengineering.com/dening yourself with a seemingly non-end- another time. While this may take somecan-technology-cause-anxiety-and-de-ing stream of communication, Armstrongtime away from personal life, the strategypression8 CAREER GUIDE|2020| www.elitecme.com'